Brewers rout Cubs 9-0
MILWAUKEE - Kyle Lohse allowed only three hits and Ryan Braun had a two-run homer to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 9-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Milwaukee pounded Cubs ace Jeff Samardzija (1-5) for eight earned runs in three innings, raising his ERA from 1.68 to 2.54.
Braun homered to left on the first pitch he saw from Samardzija, and the Brewers rolled from there with Samardzija having trouble locating his fastball. Lyle Overbay broke the game open with a three-run double in the third.
Lohse's RBI single drove in Overbay to make it 8-0 for the pitcher's second run-scoring hit of the game. Lohse (7-1) struck out six in Milwaukee's first complete game shutout this season.
One of the few highlights for Chicago was Brian Schlitter's single to lead off the seventh for the reliever's first major league hit.
Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was ejected by home plate umpire Jerry Meals for arguing a called third strike in the fourth and Chicago trailing by eight.
The left-handed slugger turned to face Meals and pointed angrily with his left arm at the ground before being sent back to the dugout by manager Rick Renteria.
The last-place Cubs lost their 14th straight series on the road, a streak dating to last September.
Braun hit his ninth homer of the year and second in three days.
Scooter Gennett had two doubles off Samardzija before hitting his third homer of the year in the fifth off reliever Justin Grimm.
Gennett's first double exemplified the Cubs' afternoon. A high fly to shallow left-center in the second fell in between backpedaling shortstop Starlin Castro and charging outfielder Junior Lake, who looked away in frustration as Gennett hustled into second.
Notes: Chicago planned to give Luis Valbuena a couple days off as a precaution after Renteria said the infielder was "a little tired, a little sore" with what he described as an abdominal ailment. ... Brewers 3B Aramis Ramirez (hamstring) went 0 for 2 and fielded a grounder in four innings in his first game of a two-day rehab stint at the team's Class A affiliate in Appleton. ... ... Chicago is off Monday and opens a three-game series Tuesday against the visiting New York Mets. RH Matt Garza (2-4) starts Monday when Milwaukee welcomes the Minnesota Twins for a two-game series.